Start A New Ishmael Group

This Step-by-Step Guide will help you create and grow your local Ishmael Group:

1. Find Local Ishmael Readers - There are a few good ways to find other readers in your area:
   
   
   • Personal Friends and Family - The simplest way to find other readers is to begin with your friends and family. If they have not read Quinn's books, share the books with them and then discuss whether they would like to help you begin a local group.
      
   • Search the Ishmael Network - There are over 6000 Quinn readers who have joined The Ishmael Network at Ishmael's Community. At the network page, you can search by city, state, country or zip code to find other readers in your area. Go through the network and find the names of those readers in your area who might be interested, and then craft an email in which you explain that you wish to start a group and ask them to let you know if they are interested. Search several ways, since if you only search by city, you may miss people who are in areas right nearby, but not exactly in your city.
      
   • Search The Web - Use search engines such as Google, Yahoo or Altavista to search for Quinn readers in your area. Try various combinations of keywords such as "Quinn and Ishmael and Detroit". Email anyone you find who might be interested in your area.
      
2. Set Up a Means for Online Communication - Once you have a group of interested people, no matter how few or how many, it is important to begin the process of communicating as a group. There are tools which can help you do this. One very commonly used tool is the Yahoo Groups forum. You may be asked to register with a Yahoo login and password if you do not yet have one. Then, simply visit the groups page and click on Start a New Group. From there, you may choose a name for your group, such as the Houston Ishmael group or the San Diego Leavers. Once your group has been set up, you can begin adding the names and emails of the members in your group.
    
3. Set Up a Casual First Meeting - Chatting online is a great way to meet new people, but nothing can replace face to face contact. We suggest first picking one time when the group can meet casually just to get to know each other. It is always a great time to first meet others who understand Quinn's message and are interested. This first meeting can take place anywhere from a member's home to a coffee shop to a library. This gives you a chance to simply meet, as well as to discuss possibilities for more regular meeting times.
    
4. Set Up Regular Meeting Times and Places - Many folks are busy and cannot make a meeting every week or even month. However, it is often helpful to at least agree on a basic flexible schedule of when meetings can be held. Some groups meet once a month, others more or less often. Some groups meet outdoors and some indoors. There is no one right way to hold a meeting and the individuals in your group should find a time and place that works for them.
   
   Some examples of places that groups meet are the Atlanta Leavers group which often meets outdoors in a park, the Twin Cities Tribe which often meets at a local library, and the Detroit Ishmael Leavers which meets at the local Green Party headquarters. Look for likeminded organizations in your area who might have some space to let you use occasionally.
    
5. Discuss, Support, Get Active - Once you have your group and your meetings are running, you can use these times to do several things. Meetings are a great place to discuss Quinn's ideas and clear up confusions or questions. They are also a wonderful place to receive support from others who understand how difficult it can be to live in ways that Mother Culture may not approve of. Finally, they are a great place to discuss ways to increase readership of Quinn's books and getting active in other activist organizations. Some groups split their meeting times between times to discuss ideas and time to discuss actions. Groups may also get together at other times to take part in activities ranging from creating signs and banners to promote to more Quinn readers to helping local area charities and organizations.
    
6. Continue to Grow Your Group - Once your local group is established, you have only begun. There are always new people in your area who are finding Quinn's books and looking for likeminded people for support. There are several ways to find these new readers in order to continue to grow.
    
• Check the Ishmael Network Regularly - Ishmael.com receive thousands of hits per day, and that means new readers joining the network every day. Someone from your group should regularly check The Ishmael Network for any new local readers who have signed up since your last check. This will allow you to let anyone new know how to reach you so that they aren't left out. Use the option to search for members who have joined the network within the past three days, week, two weeks or month. It is a shame when someone joins the Network wishing to find likeminded people and never finds out there is a group right down the street.
   
• Use the Friends of Ishmael Society Promotional Tools - This is what we are all about - helping you find more friends in your area. These promotional tools are for you. Use them and please send us any new tools that you make or find.
   
• Post Your Group to the Friends of Ishmael Society - Whenever you start a new group or hear of a new group, please post the local group to us so that we can maintain a comprehensive listing. This will make it much easier for new readers to find you.